Locking device for book supporting



.une 17, 1952 w. E. scHRoER 2,600,808

LOCKING DEVICE FOR BOOK SUPPORTIG METALS Filed April 11. 1949 IN1/EN Toe: WALTER E. .5c/1R05@ Patented June 17 1952 LOCKING DEVICE FOR BOOKSUPPORTING METALS Walter E.y Schroer, Affton, Mo., assignor to LooseLeaf Metals Co., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Y ApplicationvApril 11, 1949, Serial No. 86,770

1 claim. 1

The` present invention relates generally to the binder art, and moreparticularly to a no vel locking device for a metal for engaging andsupporting atelephone directory or the like.

The' locking `device comprises a member slidn portion I8 withsemicircular-shaped upturned end ably mounted on the free end of arod-like retainportions 20 and 22 normal thereto. The flat poringmember. The sliding member contains a protion I 8 contains a pair ofspaced openings 23 for tuberance which .is yieldably urged into holdinga purposedescribed hereinafter. The end porengagement with an aperturecontained in one of tion 20 contains a relatively small circular opentheleg portions of the body member of the metal. lo ing 24, as shown inFig. 6, and the end portion 22 There are numerous book supporting metalsin contains a relatively large circular opening 26 inuse at the presenttime, but the locking means wardly ofthe upper edge thereof, as shown inof the majority of them are not entirely satisfac- Fig. 5. A verticalslot 28 extends from the opentory, many of them being cumbersome andrequiring 26 to the upper edge oi the end portion 22 for ing anexcessive amount of time to engage and l apurpose described hereinafter.disengage; or else they are unreliable in opera- The member I6 includesa rod-like body portion, i a tion 30, one end of which extends throughthe It is an object of the present invention. thereend opening 24 andwhich contains a ring-like fore, to provide a supporting metal with anovel portion 32 for suspending the metal and book by locking meanswhich is simple in construction, achain or cord. yet positive in itslocking action. The locking device Il includes a cylindrical Anotherobject is to provide a supporting metal locking member 34 (Fig. 7) witha knurled outer with a novel locking means which can be engaged surface35 which is slidably mounted on the other and disengaged quickly andeasily. end of the rod-like portion 30. The member 34 Other objects areto provide a supporting metal contains two connecting cylindricalchambers 36 with a novel locking means which contains a and 31, thelatter being of larger diameter than minimum number of parts, is ofrugged constructhe former, thus forming a shoulder 38 between tion, andwhich is relatively inexpensive to manuthem. At one end, the member 34is formed as factura a cylindrical protuberance 39 which has a fru-sto-Further objects and advantages of the present conical end portion 4i),the cylindrical protuberinvention will be apparent from the followingdeance 39 being slightly smaller than the opening scription, referencebeing had to the accompany- 2E in the end portion 22 of the body memberI4. ing drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of A Washer 4| iS Sldablymounted 011 the IOd-like the present invention is Shown, in which;portion 30 within the chamber 31 and is prevented Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a supporting 35 from sliding 01T of the end thereofby an enlarged metal provided with a locking device embodying endportion 42. The outside diameter of the the teachings of the presentinvention, shown emwasher 4I is slightly smaller than the insidediployed with a telephone directory; ameter of the chamber 31.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal A coil spring 44 isdisposed around the rod-like sectional view taken on the line 2--2 inFig. 1; 40 portion 30 within the chambers 36 and 31, with Fig. 3 is anenlarged top plan view of the metal; one end bearing against the washer4I and the Fig. 4 i-s an enlarged front elevational view of Other endagainst the innermost Wall of the the metal; chamber 36.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical transverse sec- In use, the metal l0 iSbrought ni'fO Supporting tional view taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4; 45engagement with the telephone directory I2 by Fig. 6 is an enlargedvertical transverse sec- I'St grasping the flat portion I8 of the bodymemtional view taken on the line B-- in Fig. 4; and ber I4 in one handand the knurled surface 35 of Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentaryvertical longithe locking member 34 with the other hand. The tudinalsectional view taken on the line 11 in locking member 34 is then pulledoutwardly t0 Fig, 3, the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, in

Referring to the drawing more particularly by which position theshoulder 38 abuts the washer reference numerals, I0 indicates generallya lsup- 4I thereby limiting the outward movement of the porting metalprovided with a locking device I I locking member 34, the end of thefrusto-concal made in accordance with the teachings of the i portion 40clears the vouter face of the end porpresent invention, the metal beingin supporting tion 22, and the spring 44 is compressed agat engagementwith a telephone directory I2.

The metal I0 includes an elongated U-shaped body member I4 which has amember IE mounted thereon for retaining the book I2 in position.

The body member I4 comprises a ilat elongated the washer 4I. The end ofthe rod-like portion IG and the body member I4 with the back thereoiagainst the inner face of the elongated portion I8. The member It isthen swungi'dewnwaltdlm. into position between the open pages of thedirece1 I tory I2, the locking member 5ft-.pulled outwardly against theaction of the springdliintil'tha-endl;

of the frusto-conical portion 40 clears the outer face of the endportion 20, and therod-like member 30 inserted through theslot128'intothermen-'- ing 26. The locking member 34 is then (released,v

Therefore, it is apparent thatlthere has. been provided a novellocking-,device fora booksupporting` metal which fulii'lls' all of theobjects and advantages sought therefor.

It'isto be. understood .that the foregoingmdef scription and theaccompanyingdrawing. have been given only by way of illustration `andexample; and .thatchanges and .alterations.in.the.mes

4 ent disclosure, which will be readily apparent to one skilled in theart, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention whichis limited only by the claim which follows.

What is claimed is:

A deyiceyof; thek type: described, comprising an elongated body member;a rod-like retaining member having one end thereof mounted adjacent oneend of said body member so as to be both ipivotabl'ea.andslidable withrespect t0 said body member; said one end having a ring-like portion.disposed `externally Vof said body member for sus-- pending-saidfdeyiceand a telephone directoryr or the likei-,supported thereby; a lockingmember slidably mounted adjacent the other end of said'.

retaining" memberl and engageable with the other endf ofesaid bodymember so as to prevent pivotal movement of the retaining member, butnot sliding movement thereorelative to said body member, saidlockingmember centaining a pair of.V connecting` cylindrical chambers,the outerchamber being of a larger diameter thanthe inner .oneso as. to formashoulder. between them; a,washer disposed .on they retaining membervadjacentn the other end. and within said outer. chamber., .the washerbeingV larger than the` inner Chamber, so as to abut. the shoulder andlimitthe .outward movement of the..lo,cking. membel.. anda coiled springdisposed. about. theretaining. membeltwithin. the chambersandadjacentthe washer.

WALTER.. E,- SCHROER.

REFERENCES CITEDA The following references are of record inthe file ofthisv patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS- Number

